These carnival queens, from Corby in Northamptonshire, have been selected to promote a positive image of the town – appearing at community events, funfairs, openings and so on. This shot was taken when they had an hour free from their schedules for some fun.

Although it may look like an innocent photograph of carnival queens at a bowling alley, it is actually part of a project that, as a whole, intends to change government policy on land reclamation. Corby's stainless steel works began to close in the 1980s, but poor disposal of toxic waste led to several children being born with birth defects. A successful court case was brought against the local council by several families who became known as the Corby 16. I produced a book, called Deeds Not Words, of 60 images of the community, along with a summary of the court case and the science involved.

Strong photography can communicate on a universal level: you don't need a degree in art history to understand it – or be affected by it. I'm interested in the social uses of photography and I like to challenge the ways shots are disseminated. This book was not made commercially available: instead, I sent copies to all 433 local authorities in the UK to raise awareness of issues around toxic waste and reuse of contaminated land.

The photographs represent the community of Corby as a whole, not just families involved in the court case. They concentrate on body image and various manifestations of beauty. So you have images of people who were born with fingers missing alongside other members of the community – like these carnival queens – whose lives have been shaped by the same socio-economic factors. There's no differentiation between them: the whole town was affected by the case.

Although the girls in the image are undirected and unstaged, the composition, lighting, mood and costumes make it seem like a Renaissance painting. This shot is typical of my work because it shows the relationship of the individual to the group. There's normally a central figure whom the viewer feels the picture is about – in this case, the blonde girl with the pierced eyebrow, looking down. That central figure is normally surrounded by a crowd. My hope is that the viewer identifies with this figure and starts to think about their relationship with the group as well. It raises the existential question about how much of you is defined by other people.

The CV

Born: London, 1972.

Studied: BA in fine art from Reading; MA from Goldsmiths; self-taught as a photographer.